India
Explore stories associated with Indian traditions, including the Panchatantra, Jataka narratives and regional collections. A tale’s setting, the place where a version was recorded and the history of its publication are different kinds of evidence. Read the source note for the connection supported on each page.
219 stories are in this region right now.
Bengal Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
Life’s Secret
Prince Dalim Kumar’s life is hidden in a necklace inside a fish, and when his jealous stepmother wears it he dies by day and wakes only at night.
Bengal Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Indigent Brahman
The goddess Durga gives a poor Brahman a pot that pours out endless sweets; when a cheat steals it, her second gift is a pot full of demons.
Bengal Folk Tales
Ages 9-12
The Match-Making Jackal
A jackal invents a rich kingdom to arrange a weaver’s marriage. The deceived princess later builds the wealth for which the jackal claims credit.
Bengal Folk Tales
Ages 6-8
The Ghost-Brahman
A ghost takes the shape of a poor Brahman and moves into his house, and only a cowherd boy playing at being king can work out how to catch him.
Hitopadesha
Ages 9-12
The Story of the Jackal, Deer, and Crow
A sly jackal pretends to be a deer’s loyal friend while secretly hoping to eat him, and only a wise old crow sees through his sweet talk.
Hitopadesha
Ages 9-12
The Story of the Vulture, the Cat, and the Birds
A hungry cat talks his way into the home of a blind old vulture by pretending to be holy, and the little birds of the fig tree pay the price.
Hitopadesha
Ages 9-12
The Story of the Washerman’s Donkey
When a thief creeps into the washerman’s house, the guard dog refuses to bark, so the donkey decides to raise the alarm himself, with painful results.
Hitopadesha
Ages 6-8
The Story of the Cat Who Served the Lion
A lion hires a cat to keep a pesky mouse away from his mane, but once the cat catches the mouse he discovers his fine dinners have come to an end.
Hitopadesha
Ages 6-8
The Story of the Terrible Bell
A whole town flees from a bell-ringing goblin in the hills, until one sensible woman goes to see for herself what is really making the noise.
Hitopadesha
The Prince, the Sea-Princess and the Barber
A wandering prince who lost a sea-princess through his own curiosity saves an innocent barber by telling the judge what he saw one night in a herdsman’s hut.
Hitopadesha
The Story of the Faithful Rajpoot
A king secretly follows his highly paid soldier and discovers a demand for a terrible family sacrifice, followed by a supernatural reversal.
Hitopadesha
Ages 6-8
The Story of the Tortoise and the Geese
Two kind geese carry their friend the tortoise through the sky on a stick, but he must keep his mouth shut tight the whole way, and that is very hard.